


Four times Joe said ‘I love you’ to Rami and one time Rami said it first

by harin91



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I Love You, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 14:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19175251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harin91/pseuds/harin91
Summary: (mazlek) - first "I love you"?Requested by @anon on Tumblr





	Four times Joe said ‘I love you’ to Rami and one time Rami said it first

**Author's Note:**

> **Not beta-ed, English is not my first language**
> 
>  
> 
> Previously posted on Tumblr @brightly-painted-canvas
> 
> I don’t even know how but this general prompt became something along the lines of those ‘four times + one time’ fic I secretly (or not so secretly?) adore. I also wrote a lot (again).  
>  **WARNING** for a bit of **angst/hurt-comfort** at some point! Be careful!

The first time happens in 2008, on set of ‘The Pacific’. **  
**

Despite being autumn in Australia, the weather is still hot and humid where they are filming, especially since the set is flooded with fake rain water and mud and they are constantly drenched, completely splattered. Assistants and helpers run around with buckets and water pumps with shower heads to spray them every chance they get during breaks between takes and it doesn’t feel nice. In fact it feels miserable and awful.

The only relief the actors get comes in the shape of popsicles, safely stored inside freezers under the production canvas tents.

In a whole week of production, they have already consumed so many of them the assistants had to restock three times and each day they come closer and closer to completely run out of popsicles for all cast and crew.

One fateful day, as Joe gets a break long enough to move away from set and join some of the other cast mates under one of their assigned tents, he realises there are no more icicles left.

As soon as he opens the freezer to find it empty he lifts his head in disbelief and looks around to call someone from the production and ask if maybe there are other popsicles in some other tents.

“Sorry, seems like we run out.” says one girl, looking mortified.

“Here, have mine.” comes a familiar voice from behind him and as Joe turns around, he’s being offered a still packaged popsicle from Rami: “I got given one, but I don’t mind.” explains the other actor, smiling encouragingly.

Joe’s troubled expression immediately morphs into one of pure gratitude as he takes the wrapped popsicle from Rami’s hand and thanks him profusely: “Man, I think I love you!” he adds, making the rest of the cast and crew snicker and smile.

“Joe’s like a dog, promising eternal love to everyone who gives him food.” comments Brendan from his chair and everyone laughs. Joe is not even bothered.

Maybe Rami is a little red on the cheeks, but he’s covered in so much mud and filth that no one notices.

 

The second time happens some years later in the form of a text.

They hadn’t seen each other in something like a whole year as they are both busy filming and auditioning and preparing role after role, one in LA and the other in New York, but they sometimes exchange texts and there’s the occasional phone call here and there.

It’s been months since the last one though, so when Rami gets a message that only says ‘ _I love you_ ’ he looks at his phone in confusion, not daring to breathe, not daring to jump to conclusions.

‘ _Joe?_ ’ he writes back, looking around like he doesn’t recognise his own living room in his and Sami’s flat, like maybe he’s being pranked? Maybe he’s dreaming?

‘ _Sorry wrong text! But how are you, my dude?_ ’ and Rami can sigh in relief but also he can be a bit disappointed as he types a reply.

Joe is in a chatty mood because he soon texts back: ‘ _Cool. I miss you. And btw I DO love you! You know that!_ ’ and Rami thinks that Joe’s still Joe.

And at least that managed to make him smile.

 

The third time Joe is crying hard, sobbing into the crook between Rami’s bicep and forearm while being cradled against the other actor’s chest as he breaks down completely on set, in full costume. Like he would care. (He doesn’t, not right now, not when…)

Rami is holding him close and firmly, warm and reassuring, putting his own sadness and grief aside to be there for him. A solid presence in the form of a hug, skinny but strong arms around his trembling body, whispers of comfort from lips brushing his ear and forehead, against the fake hair of a fluffy wig.

He doesn’t know when he stops, when he sighs out a trembling breath and lifts his head to say: “I’m so sorry.” in the tiniest, most broken voice he’s ever mustered.

Rami is looking into his red wet eyes with a similar desperate look, but with such earnest empathy and affection Joe feels like crying again and again until he’s completely drained.

The other actor just shakes his head and tugs him close again, unable to speak, but knowing that the contact could help.

Knowing firsthand what this kind of grief feels like and what is at least supposed to help.

“I don’t know what to do.” confesses Joe again, closing his eyes and pushing his head against Rami’s chest, expensive Freddie Mercury’s replica of a costume be damned.

“It’s okay.” is Rami’s croaked reply, as he gathers his voice back and sniffs to hide his own tears.

“Thank you…” murmurs Joe and he’s holding Rami close as well now, circling his waist with his arms as they’re messily sprawled on the floor of some backstage room.

Maybe the grip is painful, maybe there’s even someone watching them.

Maybe Joe’s manager is waiting for him to get up and decide what he wants to do: finish shooting? Get changed and head back to his hotel room? Take the first flight back to New York and be with his mom and his brothers?

Have you decided, Joe? What do you want to do? How do you feel?

What will do you, from now on?

Fuck all. Fuck  _everything_.

Maybe he’s saying all of this out loud or maybe this is all in his confused and despairing mind, but he only feels his shattered heart being torn over and over and his breath coming out in irregular, painful puffs of air.

Maybe Rami is trying to talk to him too but he’s mostly just holding him, swaying back and forth slightly, one hand on his back and the other covering his head, shielding him.

“I love you.” he whisper quietly and he doesn’t know if he wants to be heard or not, if it’s the right moment to say it (it’s not), if Rami cares or if he understands what this love means right now.

“I know.” is the even quieter reply and Joe just sighs and lets himself be held as he cries and cries and cries again and curses destiny and distance and illness and missing someone so damn much already.

 

The fourth time they’re listening to the radio as they drive up and down the hills of LA, already dressed to the nines for this or that ceremony, for this or that award.

Some Billy Joel tune from the 80s fades and suddenly there’s the rhythmic sound of piano keys being pushed and a rolling of drums so familiar they both whoop enthusiastically and start signing as soon as Freddie does: “ _Ooh, you make me live!_ ”

“This is our song!” exclaims Joe, turning the volume up: “How did they know?”

Rami just smiles and keeps singing and they both are almost screaming as they get to the higher notes of: “ _Ooh, you make me live now honey!_ ” and as Joe takes a curve a bit too quickly.

They laugh for how the bumps in the roads make singing difficult.

“ _Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had._ ” sings Freddie from the radio: “ _I’ve been with you such a long time, you’re my sunshine,_ ” and Joe joins in, eyes on the road: “ _And I want you to know that my feelings are true._ ”

He turns quickly so he can look into Rami’s eyes as Freddie suggests him to sing: “ _I really love you._ ” with a nice relaxed smile that matches the one Rami is sporting.

“ _Oh, you’re my best friend._ ” concludes Freddie without them, because Joe can’t take his eyes away from the passenger seat’s occupant and Rami has to snicker and hide a blush and tell him to please watch the road.

 

The first time it happens Rami has a new shiny gold statuette in his left hand and a glass of champagne in his right hand and he’s surrounded by people cheering for him and congratulating him but he, honestly now, only has eyes for Joe since he came into the post-Oscars party room.

He looks tipsy but most importantly he looks happy. Ecstatic. Stunningly beautiful. And the best thing is that he deserves every second of it. He’s worked hard all his life to get to this and now he has it. Now he’s an Oscar winner.

Joe is looking at him from afar, knowing Rami is searching for him in the crowd but wanting to tease him a bit, to play hide-and-seek like two kids in a sea of people they maybe know only a small percentage of. And so he keeps close to Ben and Gwilym and waits for Rami to hug and shake hands with this actress and that producer as he slowly gets to them.

He even lets his friends and co-actors congratulate him first, hiding a smirk behind his own glass of champagne as he notices the desperate looks Rami is throwing his way now that he know where he is, now that he’s got him pinned and he can’t escape.

He’s the one who has to hug Rami close with his empty hand and they all laugh when Rami clinks Joe’s champagne flute with the statuette instead that with his own half empty glass.  
Suddenly Rami is whispering in his ear how he’s glad Joe is there with him because he’s a little bit drunk already and he can’t wait to be home and to be taken home by his Joe.

They look into each other’s eyes and suddenly there’s a lump in Joe’s throat and he know what it is but it’s making saying the words so damn difficult all of the sudden.

Rami, who had been able to read him like an open book and communicate with him without needing words for more than 10 years, just nods and duck his head in the sweetest way as he says: “I love you.” first and for the first time.

Joe’s out of breath for a moment and then he’s replying: “I love you too.” like he’s never said something truer and more precious.

“Congratulations.” he adds and Rami is smirking and they’re hugging again, in the middle of the ball room, the other actor’s head on Joe’s shoulder.


End file.
